


Time Is Just A Concept

by winterwolf212



Category: Community (TV)
Genre: F/M, First Dates, Friends to Lovers, Temporary Character Death, Time Travel, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:47:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25017235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winterwolf212/pseuds/winterwolf212
Summary: When Annie woke up she wasn't in her cold lonely apartment. It looked exactly like her old room in Apartment 303.But how can that be? Wait. When did Troy shave his beard and why does Abed look so young?Or, Annie woke up in the past during the time they got expelled from Greendale and tricks Abed into a date.
Relationships: Annie Edison/Abed Nadir
Comments: 21
Kudos: 90





	1. Where Am I?

Annie woke up disoriented, she groaned as the throbbing in her head continued to pulse and each movement sent a new spike of pain coursing through her brain. 

She blindly reached for her bedside table, trying and failing to find the painkillers she typically placed on the mahogany stained top. She tensed and flinched back when her hand brushed something soft and fluffy. Her eyes still tightly closed as any burst of light would no doubt only add to her pain. 

A sudden mind-melting pain erupted from her head and she unconsciously shrieked in agony. Images flashed in her mind, too fast and too much for her to comprehend. She whimpered pitifully under her comforter, clutching her head as tears streamed down her face. 

"Stop..." Annie whispered.

"Please... Stop." 

The images moved faster until a crescendo of pain and confusion became too much and she mercifully succumbed to blissful oblivion. 

When Annie woke up again it felt like some time had passed, she felt dry and wrung out. Every cell in her body was aching and it hurt to move but the agony in her mind was thankfully gone, only the feeling of being submerged in a bog or quicksand was left. 

"Fuck." She groaned into her bedroom. 

Unbidden and without prompting images started to flood her mind, this time slower and easier to discern than last time. 

She remembers following a suspected terrorist. Annie had been on surveillance of the suspect for over a month, mainly just watching for any suspicious movements. The man was of middle eastern descent, came to America ten years ago and has had been caught snooping in places he shouldn't be in. Annie was rather dismayed after getting her target, not that she hated her job or anything, but that it fed into the terrorist stereotype that she knew Abed was always subjected to.

She sighed and the fog pressing in her brain slowly started to lift. 

'Wait. Why am I at home?'

Annie's eyes immediately opened and she bolted upright only to scream in surprise at the sight of her old bedroom from her time at Greendale. 

"What the fuck!" 

The door banged open and two familiar figures stood at the doorway. 

"Annie!" 

"What's wrong?"

She stared in silent horror as an unbearded young Troy Barnes approached her with concern. Abed followed suit and she slowly started to gape at the familiar short hair he used to keep in College. 

"What is it?"

"Annie, talk to us." 

They both sat on the edge of her bed with concern. When she didn't respond, mind still trying to process the shocked by how young they both looked, and Abed doesn't even have a single grey hair! 

Troy gripped his hands on her shoulders and was starting to shake her gently. 

"Annie! Come back to us!"

"I- I-", she started to stammer, trying to find a quick excuse. "I- I had a nightmare."

They both minutely sagged in relief that it wasn't anything life threatening. Troy shared a look with Abed who nodded and quickly left the room. 

"You had us worried Annie. We just got back from Walmart and we thought something happened while we were away."

Annie shook her head, "No, I was just-- just disoriented."

Abed came back and he was holding a mug and a blanket. He handed her the mug and wrapped the blanket around her shoulders. She looked down and could instantly recognize special drink. A wave of nostalgia fell on her as she took a sip. The chocolate taste on her tongue a delightful reprieve from the excruciating pain she felt a few hours ago. 

Fond memories of watching Inspector Spacetime with her favorite roommate resurfaced. It has been awhile... Years really since she had last gotten a sip of Abed's original special drink, not that she can't make special drink, she does, it's just that the brand Abed used went bankrupt after a virus rampaged the world.

"Blankets?" She asked, looking at the purple blanket around her shoulders and at her own comforter still bunched up to her waist. 

Abed shrugged, "It's how they comfort people in movies." 

She smiled and took another sip. 

"Thanks boys. Sorry I worried you two." 

"It's alright Annie, everyone gets nightmares." Troy replied.

"I think I'm just gonna lie down for a bit." She said and finished her cup of special drink. Without prompting Abed took the cup from her hands. 

"We'll leave you to it." Troy stood and beckoned Abed to leave with him. Once at the door Abed lingered, he looked back at her with his piercing brown eyes. Whatever he saw must have satisfied him as he softly closed the door when he left.

Annie flopped back down and groaned. Her hands rubbed her face forcefully as if trying to wake herself up. 

Leaving her wrist pressed against her eyelids she murmured.

"Is this heaven?"

A choked sob escaped her before she could stop it. Her hand dropped down to her lips and she bit into the soft pad of her palm to muffle the noise. Her eyes well up with tears and the clear salty drops spill at the sides.

Her last memory was being stabbed multiple times from behind. The knife had cut into her like butter and she fell onto the dirty alley floor surrounded by rats and piles of garbage. She never saw her attacker, but it literally could have been anyone. 

The neighborhood the suspected terrorist lived in wasn't a safe one, filled with drug addicts and gangbangers. It could have been the suspect that killed her, but it could have also been the handful of other shady suspects living in the area.

Her nose was stuffy and she's having a hard time breathing but she can't be sure her cries won't be heard by the boys. She remembered the walls in their tiny apartment was rather thin. Her jaw eventually relaxed and she inhaled the cool air. 

It doesn't matter now. That will never happen again, it's a decade into the future. She exhaled shakily as another sob threatens to escape her. 

It's unfair.

Abed was supposed to visit Washington that week. She hasn't seen him in person for over a year and their weekly video calls just couldn't cut it. 

She looked around for her phone and checked the date. Annie groaned, it is in the middle of their time expelled from Greendale. No wonder she and the boys are still in the apartment during the weekday. 

Annie shook her head and decided it was time to get off the bed. This might just be all a dream a dying Annie is having on the floor of that dingy alley. 

Or this might really be heaven for her. But if it is heaven, does that mean her version of paradise is apartment 303 with her friends? 

Does that mean she peaked at college? 

She shuddered at the thought. Annie sat down in front of the vanity, looking herself over with a critical eye. Her eyes and nose were red, her face is blotchy and her hair is a mess. She bemoaned the state of her face, the boys will definitely know she was crying. 

Half an hour later she looked more presentable. There was a hint of redness around her eyes but hopefully if she doesn't make any eye contact with the boys they might not notice it.

Annie slipped outside her bedroom and could see the boys were having lunch. It was taco Tuesday and they got take-out on their way home from Walmart, which probably explained why they didn't hear her first fits of screaming pain. 

It's so weird now how much time they spent together during their expulsion. In her original timeline Annie spent the better part of the second month looking for a part-time job. If this is heaven does she still need to pay for rent?

A ringing in the apartment broke her thoughts and Troy stood up to take the call. 

"Hold on a sec, I'll be right back," Troy whips around and looks at Abed. "Britta needs some help with something. Won't take me long, I'll be right back."

"Sure."

Troy took his jacket and rushed past her to the door. Choosing to avoid eye contact with either men she went to fix herself some tacos on the dining table as the door slammed shut behind her.

She was too focused on making her taco and didn't notice when Abed stopped eating. 

"Annie." Abed called her.

She looked up at him but could see he's looking down at her hands. His brows were furrowed with concern and he rounded the table to grab her hand. He lifted her palm up and with a feather-light touch traced the indents and small cuts made by her teeth. She surpressed a shudder as his touch tingled on her skin. 

"Annie." He whispered and looked up from her hand. She kept her head hanging low, Abed may not understand emotions but he has very high observational skills.

Two fingers placed under her chin gently lifted her face upward. His chocolate brown eyes were penetrating. She felt exposed as his gaze turned from searching to concern and confusion. 

She bit her lip when the hand on her chin lift to cup her cheek. Her eyelids fluttered at the warmth emanating from his palm and his thumb brushed the skin beneath her eye. Her vision of Abed start to blur as tears threatened to fall. 

Annie missed this so much, she missed this closeness between them. She hated coming home to her cold and empty apartment. And if heaven is the home she'd made with Troy and Abed, then she doesn't mind staying here forever.

"What's wrong?" He asked softly.

She shook her head and stepped forward to bury her face into his chest. 

'I missed you so much.'

Annie had very big plans that week. She was going to tell Abed how she really felt about him. 

How their weekly video calls on Skype and their daily texts were the only thing keeping her going. 

How his voice was the highlight of her week. 

How much she had come to love him ever since their time at Greendale. 

Annie was going to tell him her transfer approved and that she was moving to Los Angeles in a few months time... Maybe start a life with the man she holds dearest to her heart.

She sobbed openly into Abed's chest as he wrapped his arms around her in a tight grip. What about her Abed? What is he going to do when he finds out she's no longer around? 

Just the thought of her closest friend getting told of her stabbing brought a fresh wave of tears in her eyes. Grieving not for her death but for the friends she's left behind. The future she's dreamt that won't ever happen.

His fingers ran through her hair in a soothing motion, calming her down until she was merely holding onto his form. They stayed together in silence for a few minutes until Annie finally pulled back. 

She hurriedly wiped away the tear tracks on her face. "I'm sorry." She croaked out, her hand reaching out to rub away the make-up stains on his shirt.

"It's okay." He said and slowly led her to the bathroom where she washed her face with cold tap water. The cool liquid a relief on her overheated skin. She could hear him rummage through their storage for the small med-kit she'd bought back when she treated Abed's fork-jousting injury. 

He didn't ask what she was crying about, which is one of the things she loved about him, he was never the type to pry unless she came forward to tell him on her own.

Abed gently took her hand and carefully applied disinfectant. She hissed at the sting but kept her hand frozen in place.

"Abed." 

"Yes?" He answered, his eyes never leaving her hand.

"Is this an alternate timeline?" She asked.

He stilled at her question. 

"Is this real?" She added.

His lips pressed into a thin line and he answered. "Yes Annie. We did get expelled, it was real." 

It struck her that Abed is probably thinking she's had a delayed reaction to their expulsion.

"What if I'm not your Annie?" She asked further.

Abed looked up at her face with a searching look before shaking his head and went back to applying a large batman bandaid on her hand. 

"You're not evil Annie and you're not a fake like the Dean either."

Annie visibly winced when she remembered that the Dean is being held hostage in some dingy school basement. They've gotten quite close to the Dean in their later school years, especially after they established the Save Greendale Committee.

"Did I hurt you?" Abed asked with a hint of concern.

She shook her head no, subtly enjoying the sensation of the rough pads of his fingers on her skin. Her Abed has always been so kind. He might not understand emotions very well but he always tries so hard to fit in. Tries so much to understand the world around him and only a handful ever bothered to understand him back.

With her uninjured hand she cupped his cheek. "I believe you." She said and he tilted his head in question to her words. 

"I believe you when you say that the Dean is fake." 

"Really?" He asked with his brows raised.

"The Dean wouldn't do that to us." 

"Why?" He asked again, looking like a puppy with his confused face and Annie gave him a fond look.

"He loved us too much." 

"Oh." A look of understanding passed his face. "Oh yeah."

"Why did you think he was fake?" She asked in curiosity.

He merely shrugged and said, "Expulsion of any student isn't usually a part of his typical choice of actions." 

Now it was her turn to say, "Oh."

It is true now that she thinks about it, the Dean never expelled anyone. Even Starburns who dealt in illegal substances still managed to come back and graduate. There was also that one dog who almost got a degree. The Dean needed to be told when something is wrong before he'd do anything about it. Only Frankie ever expelled students.

"That makes sense." She said and noticed her hand was still stroking his cheek. She coughed and shuffled away.

"I- I'm feeling hungry. Let's go eat tacos?" 

Abed nodded with his typical tight-lipped smile. She grabbed his hand with her uninjured one and dragged him back to the dining table. 

Annie didn't see the way his eyes took a peculiar glint as he stared at her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unbetaed.

Abed has been spending a few days watching the school for evidence that the Dean is fake. He noticed how quiet the school populace had gotten, and the general mood had become weird a few weeks after they've been expelled. There has been tiny security guards in dark uniforms with sunglasses roaming around the school grounds. A new fence had been built as well, it was just a simple steel matted fence Abed estimated to be about three meters wide with a door. It served no other purpose than to herd the student body through an unnecessary daily security screening. 

He adjusted his brown plaid hat and crouched down beside a parked car just outside the range of vision from any suspecting tiny security guard. His eyes scanning the scene with binoculars tied around his neck. 

He could see the Dean walking the grounds in a slow hunched manner. Very uncharacteristic to his more flamboyant style of strut and pompous. The Dean is different, he knew that from the moment they were kicked out, and Annie said she knew it too, but he has no proof for the rest of the group to believe in him.

Annie promised him she'd help with getting evidence though and had gone off for something this morning.

Abed noticed she'd been acting differently this past week. After that nightmare incident where she cried and even bit her own hand, she'd changed. The way she moves now was more mature, and in what Abed would typically conclude as someone confident in their own skin. Which when you consider Annie, a nerdy girl who underwent major physical change (in more ways than one) just before entering Greendale, Abed can say it is a massive difference. 

Annie liked to pretend she has been a 'hot girl' all along but her nerd-outcasted past most often peeks through in sometimes small and sometimes embarrassing ways. Her not-hot schoolgirl tantrum being the top of the list.

She's also been exhibiting less uptight decision-making recently and had taken a more relaxed approach to handling them. She didn't even get mad when Troy reorganized her book collection by color. Annie just laughed and didn't bother to fix the mistake and left the shelf as is. 

That wasn't the only thing that struck him as odd. Old Annie used to wear cardigans, dresses, skirts and stockings. What Abed and the other men in the group would call the, 'hot schoolgirl outfit'. Now though, Annie has taken to wearing large t-shirts, shorts, tight jeans, and tank tops. Make no mistake, she still wears her usual dresses most often, but he didn't even know she had owned those aforementioned articles of clothing in the first place. Or maybe she did but kept hiding them under her cardigans?

Whatever the case it's been distracting when she kept wearing those soft cotton shorts and perching on the arm of his chair whenever they watch a movie. Her silky white thighs so close and pressed against him kept Abed from functioning properly while watching Ghostbusters.

He had half a mind to complain but he'd been practicing a bit of empathy, she'd be embarrassed if he said her thighs are distracting. Well, he'd initially thought so but the new Annie creates a very different Dreamatorium conclusion.

And the touching. He'd counted a steep increase in the number of casual touches in just the past few days alone. 

It started with her hand on his back, then on his arm, then on his shoulder and then on his leg. She used to do these casual touches before but not all the time like now. 

She would also start holding his hand whenever she was close enough to reach out. Annie would play with his fingers and massage his palm. Abed would just let it happen. Annie is an attractive girl and no one has been that forewardly affectionate with him before. 

Abed found the touches rather pleasant, he'd start to feel a little warm and he liked the comfort it evoked.

He... Likes this new Annie. Not that he didn't before but the way she would look at him... even when he has a hard time understanding faces, the way her eyes would widen and her lips would automatically tilt upwards at the sight of him. The way she anticipates what makes him falter and lag like a broken computer, a firm grasp on his arm to steady him back to Earth. Each time made him feel safe, warm... Protected.

Abed doesn't understand why or how she's changed so much. The sight of her in anguish that day made his chest hurt. If he didn't hate doctors so much he would have gone to get his chest checked out.

"Abed." 

"Abed." 

He snapped around in alarm as a hand gripped his shoulder. 

"Shhhh." 

It was Annie. 

"Come on Abed, you're going to get caught by the school security if you keep doing this." She said and dragged him away as fast and as stealthily as possible out of school property. 

"How'd you find me?" He asked.

"Abed, you're wearing a Sherlock costume behind professor Duncan's car." 

She has a point. 

Annie's still holding his hand while carefully leading him outside of school property and towards Jeff's car. The man himself was leaning on the side of the automobile with his phone in hand.

* * *

"Jeff! I found Abed." Annie called out.

The ex-lawyer looked up with a scowl on his face. "Okay now what is this about? I have an appointment in two hours." 

Annie rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Jeff your Abercrombie can wait, this is more important." 

"And what is 'this'?" Jeff raised an eyebrow. "You said this was an emergency, why are we here? And why did you two just come from the direction of the school?"

"Look I'll explain on the way, it's almost time." Annie rushed to the backseat where she left a square black bag. Abed just slid into the front seat while Jeff grumbled. He doesn't know what's up but Annie seems to be confident with her plan. 

"Jeff I want you to follow that car!" She pointed at a vehicle that just passed.

"Isn't that the Dean's car?" Jeff asks but still turned his engine on. 

"Just do it but don't make it obvious." She said and Jeff slowed down to give their cars a wide berth.

"Alright but you have to tell me why." 

Annie sighed before making eye contact with Abed. 

"The Dean has been replaced with an imposter." She said in a no-nonsense tone. 

"What?" Jeff turned his eyes away from the road to look at Annie with an incredulous face. 

Annie nodded. "Just trust us on this." 

"You guys are ridiculous." He shook his head. 

"You'll see in a while." She gave Abed's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. 

They followed the Dean's car for a little while until they reached an elementary school where the Dean parked his car at a curb. 

"What is the Dean doing in an elementary school?" Jeff asked with concern while Annie took out the professional camera she bought from Britta. Apparently her abysmal efforts to document the blanket and pillowfort war made Britta realize photography isn't her thing after all. Which works just as well for Annie who'd taken photography classes in her later years at Greendale.

She zoomed in just in time for two kids to run up to the fake Dean. A girl and a boy, the girl looks older by about a few years. Annie took a couple of pictures of the kids with fake Dean. 

"The Dean has kids?" Jeff had a weird look on his face.

"Huh. I never thought fake Dean would have a family." Abed said as he used his binoculars to see better.

"Motive." She replied while checking on her shots.

"He's leaving! Follow his car Jeff." 

"Fine." Jeff still grumbled but the scene just now caught his interest.

They followed the car into a suburban neighborhood. Annie instructed Jeff to park a little ways away so that fake Dean won't suspect being followed.

She raised her camera again and snapped a few pictures of the house, and a few with the fake Dean entering the front door with the kids in tow.

"Abed, note down the address." She ordered and he silently complied.

Jeff had a confused look in his face before morphing into stark realization. "The Dean lives in an apartment. Not a house with a lawn." 

Jeff vehemently shook his head. "No way the Dean's fake. He probably dropped off his sister's kids or something!" 

"Do you really think he has a sister?" Abed asked drily and Jeff pressed his lips into a thin line, remembering all the ridiculous costumes from Dean's 'sister'.

"We need more proof." Jeff finally said after a few seconds.

"Don't worry, we're right on it, I have a plan." She gave him a her best 'believe-me-ive-got-this' face while Abed tilted his head and mouthed 'we' with an intrigued look.

"Okay, sure." Jeff turned back to look at the house. "What now?" 

Annie tucked the camera away before saying, "Can you please drop us off at the mall? I need to get something." 

Again Abed mouthed 'us' from the front seat, his brows furrowed in confusion. 

"Fine, be grateful it's close to my appointment." Jeff griped but turned the engine back on. 

Annie silently huffed in the backseat, Jeff likes to complain but she knows he loves the group very much. Especially after they all graduated, he would always invite them all over to attend an event at school. 

It's still shocking how close Jeff and the Dean had gotten in the last couple of years before her death, maybe they had more things in common than she thought.

* * *

"Thanks for the ride!" Annie said as she got out of the car.

"Yeah yeah whatever." Jeff waved them off and took off, no doubt to find a parking space as his 'appointment' is inside the mall.

She turned and gave Abed a winning smile. "Let's go?"

He shrugged, deciding to just let Annie do as she pleases and gave a lopsided smile, "Sure."

She slipped her arm through his again and pressed close to his side. There it is again. Her casual touching. Something inside him burned hotter with every increasing hold and he doesn't know what to do.

Abed didn't know what they were there for but Annie caught him looking at the comic book store and quickly steered them towards it. They browsed through all the new releases and then some. Abed told her about his favorite Batman comic, which was 'The Killing Joke' by Alan Moore. He was surprised to know that she was familiar with the comic book and they spent the whole time rummaging through the DVD discount bin talking about the finer points of the comic.

"What if they made a movie with it in the future?" She asks.

He ponders for a few seconds, "I don't think anyone can suitably replace Heath Ledger as the Joker."

She hummed and took out a slightly battered DVD of 'Vampire's Kiss' starring Nicholas Cage from the discount bin.

"What about Joaquin Phoenix?" She asked. 

He paused for a few seconds. "That's actually a good choice." 

She beamed.

When they lined up to pay for the Nick Cage DVD Abed thought of something, he looked at Annie with contemplation before deciding to give it a shot. 

Abed slowly draped an arm over Annie's shoulder. He wondered what she would do and she merely smiled, slipped her arm around his waist and leaned against him. His heart felt like it was beating a mile a minute and his lips slowly twitched into a smile. 

They left the store still pressed closely together, and there's something different in the air around them. He could feel the giddy anticipation of something new bubbling inside. 

Abed also can't help but feel like a newborn deer learning to walk, all gangly limbs and awkward stumbling. If it wasn't for her tight hold he might have fallen over already.

Annie steered them towards a yogurt shop, it was bright and cheery. Abed remembered when someone threw a balled up flier for Greendale at his face when he sat here a few years ago.

"Which one should we get?" She looked at the menu. 

"I usually just get a cone." He said with a shrug. 

"Really? Hmmm. I really want to try that one," she pointed at a banana split one with a heap of yogurt ice cream and whipped cream topped with chocolate sauce and cherry. "But I don't think I can finish it." Her face fell and started looking at the other options. 

"We can share it." He offered and she whipped around to look at him with surprised glee.

"Really?" She beamed. 

"Sure. I don't mind." 

"Cool. Cool, cool, cool." She replied and immediately told the cashier their order. Abed wondered when did Annie started saying his catchphrase so casually. They both split the cost of the dessert and found a booth to wait for their order. 

"You know they're showing 'Twilight: Breaking Dawn part two' right now." Annie held up two fingers as she said so.

"You like Twilight?" He tilted his head in question. 

She snorts, "The Room is still a better love story than Twilight. But yeah, it's a guilty pleasure, one of those so bad it's good movies. Plus I heard there's a really badass fight scene near the end so..." She waggled her eyebrows. 

"Huh, you know I like bad movies," He narrowed his eyes and pointed a finger at her as she slowly grinned. 

"I can't say no to that offer." 

She giggled as their order was called and he stood up to get their dessert. When Abed came back he didn't return to sitting across from her and chose instead to slide in on her side of the booth. She smiled and bit her lip when his arm went around her back and she took his offered spoon. 

Annie hummed as she ate the dessert. "Oh, I love yogurt." 

"You said 'we' earlier today when you talked about plans. What did you mean by that." He asked after a swallow.

"Oh." Annie brightened, "Tomorrow you need to wear something casual but respectable. We still don't know who the fake Dean is, but we know where he lives. So..." 

Annie enthusiastically told him about her plan on how they're going to dig up some dirt on the fake Dean. It was simple and yet had many unnecessary steps. 

He loved it.

"--Now we can always look up their information online or through the yellow pages, but that's so boring, who even has a phone book anymore? I think you'd prefer doing this one, it's more exciting, and if it does fail we can always look em' up online afterwards, no biggie." She made a clicking noise with her tongue and lifted up a spoonful of yogurt up to his lips.

He took a bite and let the ice cream melt before replying, "So let me get this straight, you devised this plan because you think I'd have more fun while doing it?" He quirked an eyebrow.

"Well yeah, we haven't done anything exciting in over a month." She cut into a banana and made sure the spoon had everything before shoving it in her mouth. He tried not to mind that it was the same spoon she used to feed him.

"You have a little something here." His hand came up to brush away the whipped cream at the corner of her lip. She stilled and he could see her face take on a slightly red tint. 

Abed didn't realize how close their faces have gotten until he felt their breaths mingled in the air between them. 

_Ehem_

They both turned to look at the noise and found a middle-aged woman passing by with a toddler in tow. 

Abed heard Annie mumbling under her breath, "Ugh, Karens." He didn't know she knew that lady.

They both finished what was left of their dessert, the one spoon left unused. Abed checked his digital watch. "It's five, I think we should go check if the movie has a time slot for five-thirty."

She agreed and they set off to check, his arm still draped over her shoulder. Having her close just seemed so natural and right. He couldn't help but want her near.

They were in luck, there's a showing to start in just fifteen minutes. 

"Want to get some popcorn?" He asked.

"Oh were definitely going to be needing popcorn." 

To be honest he wasn't sure what he was expecting from the movie, he hadn't read the books so he wouldn't know. 

Annie spent the first half of the movie absentmindedly playing with his hand again, it was especially distracting when she scratched her nails up and down the side of his fingers. It sent electric shocks down his nerve endings. 

She had also halfway through the movie leaned her head on his shoulder, which made him want to bury his nose into her hair after he caught the scent of strawberries from her shampoo.

Abed felt creeped out by the CGI baby, who then turned into a CGI toddler. Annie could sense his discomfort and soothingly patted his hand. It just looked so wrong, so unnatural, but Abed could see why Annie would consider the movie so bad it's good.

Abed didn't have much connection with the characters but even he couldn't help but gasping aloud when Carlisle Cullen got beheaded. The all out overpowered brawl that happened after was utterly exhilarating. He whooped along with Annie when the vampire Benjamin showed off his elemental powers and a crack in the earth appeared right in the middle of the battlefield. They both cheered and threw down some popcorn when Aro got burnt to a crisp. 

They were both still laughing when they left the theater and decided to take the bus home. They spent the whole ride talking about the upcoming Inspector Spacetime season. They made a bet if the new Inspector would be as good as the last Inspector or if they would be even worse. 

Annie was confident it would be worse but only because the previous one was just too good. He conceded that might also be a possibility. 

It was when they stood outside the apartment and Abed worked on unlocking the door that he finally realized.

He whipped around to look at her in surprise and alarm. 

"This is a date. You just took me out on a date." 

Annie looked down shyly and kicked at imaginary dirt underneath her feet. "I-- well, I guess I checked--" 

She stopped and looked up with a determined look on her face and said, "Yes, this is a date."

Abed stammered, not knowing what to say at all. 

Seeing his confused look Annie softened and took his hands into her own. "Abed it's okay. You don't have to say anything. I had a lot of fun today." 

Abed slowly nodded, yes, he had a lot of fun today too. 

Annie smiled and something in his chest tightens. He swallowed and finished unlocking the apartment. 

She yawned as she walked past him. 

"Be ready for tomorrow okay?" 

Abed nodded even though she was already halfway down to her room. 

He doesn't think he'll be getting a lot of sleep tonight. Especially when they didn't get to do the first date kiss right outside the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter. 
> 
> Stay safe everyone!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy :)

Candace cursed as she tried a small piece of her slightly burnt brownies. She frowned as the salty grainy taste pervaded her taste buds, she had accidentally placed iodized salt instead of sugar again. Candace looked down at the small tray in dismay. That's money down the toilet. She knew she should have just bought the boxed stuff. 

She thought she could make a small treat for Jeremy and the kids now that he had landed a sweet new job at Greendale Community College. Candace doesn't know where he got the connections to become a teacher but it sure pays a heck of a lot more than his DJ gig ever had. 

She tries not to be a bit too harsh on him but it's hard when you have two growing kids. They both followed the same dreams they had when they met in college and while it doesn't earn them as much as they'd hope, it was still something. 

Good thing she had a small inheritance from her grandmother, the house wasn't very large, but it was quaint and it managed to fit their little family. 

_Ding-Dong_

_Ding-Dong_

Candace flinched when she heard the doorbell going. She frowned and wondered who's coming to visit at this time of day totally unannounced. She washed and dried her hands before approaching the front door with caution.

_Ding-Dong_

She carefully checked the peephole and saw two strangers, a young couple too from the looks of it. Candace could hear them speaking in low tones on the other side of the door. After a few seconds of careful observation she relaxed somewhat but still kept her guard up. At least they don't look like Jehovah's Witnesses. 

Candace carefully constructed a polite smile as she slowly opened the front door by a few inches and poked her head out.

"Yes? Who is it?" She pleasantly asked while keeping a tight grip on the doorknob. 

"Oh! Good morning, I'm sorry for disturbing you but my husband and I were just in the neighborhood and saw the 'for sale' sign across the street." The brunette girl said with a large smile and pointed to the vacant house right in front of their home.

Candace nodded and looked questioningly at the young couple. They looked to be in their twenties, the woman was a caucasian brunette and the husband was a rather tall middle-eastern man. He gave Candace a polite smile as the brunette continued.

"We really liked the house but my husband had some concerns, we thought you know, why not ask the neighbors! So we wanted to just ask a couple of questions about the neighborhood before we can decide on anything life-changing." The girl smiled and squeezed her husband's arm, he looked down and gave her a small peck on her temple before looking back at Candace. 

"Just short questions about the neighborhood, nothing that'll take up a lot of your time." He said politely with a tight-lipped smile. He seemed to have kind eyes. 

Candace blinked, "Uh sure, c-come right in." She opened the door wider and ushered them inside. They both looked pretty trustworthy.

She led them to the living room where they politely declined her offer for a glass of water. Candace sat down in one of the loveseats and asked. 

"So what are your questions?" 

"Well-"

"You see-" 

The couple looked at each other and laughed. Candace couldn't help but think they're both adorable. This neighborhood could use a bit of a mixed-race situation to spice it up, maybe scare some of the conservatives down the street.

The woman patted the man's hand before speaking, "Well you see, my husband and I were looking to start a family. It has always been my dream to have a child of my own, and well, I was raised in a nice home just like this one," She swept her hand around to indicate her home and Candace couldn't help the involuntary smile from appearing on her face at the compliment. 

"We currently live in an apartment complex downtown and we've discussed that, if we want any kids, they deserve to have the same experience I had growing up," The brunette smiled brightly, blue eyes crystal clear. "A nice backyard and enough room to play. My husband didn't have that same kind of experience so I was hoping that our future kids will be able to have that childhood."

Candace nodded in agreement, "It's always better to raise a child in a good environment." 

"Exactly! And the house across the street had everything we wanted." The wife paused before leaning over. "It's just that, I was just wondering. How's the neighborhood? Not that I'm insinuating anything, don't get me wrong the people here seem great." Here the brunette turned downcast and patted her husband's arm in comfort. "You see my husband is half-Arab, but he was born and raised here in America. Unfortunately, he doesn't always get positive reception." 

The man in question looked down in sadness while pressing his lips into a thin line. Candace felt her heart melt at the sight of the downtrodden young couple. The world is so cruel.

"Oh honey, the neighborhood is very accepting. There may be some bad apples, but the good outweighs the bad I promise." Candace reassured the young couple and they smiled in relief at her answer.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, we forgot to introduce ourselves. My name is Isabella, and this is my husband Phineas it's nice to meet you Mrs?" 

"Johnson, Candace Johnson." She shook their hand.

"Uhm, do you have any more questions?" Candace asked. 

They talked a bit more after that, and Candace asked the couple about their work. It's rare to see couples so young purchasing houses these days. 

"My husband owns a restaurant." Isabella answered, proudly looking up at her husband.

"And my wife is an assistant for a wedding planner. We hope that one day she'll start her own wedding planning business." 

Candace perked up at that, "Oh! You plan weddings?" 

Isabella shyly smiled, "Yes, it's a great start but I'm mainly just their assistant for now. I help get everything in order." 

Candace quickly looked around and found the small box keeping Jeremy's calling cards at the mantle. "Well if you're in any need of a DJ, just call my husband. It's not his main job but it's always been his passion."

Phineas took the offered card with a small nod, "Thank you, we will. You've been a very big help to us and you have a wonderful home." 

"Thank you." 

The young couple said a few more pleasantries before taking their leave. 

'Very pleasant couple, I hope they move in. Much better neighbors than Buford next door who does nothing but watch TV and play videogames all day.' Candace thought before going back to redo her failed brownies in the kitchen.

* * *

They quietly walked hand in hand for a few houses until they were around a bend and out of sight. Annie immediately squealled and held her hand out for their signature back and forth handshake that Abed gladly reciprocated.

"That was so much fun!" She gushed.

"And we got his name and part-time job." Abed grinned.

"You did so well my husband." Annie fluttered her lashes.

"My wife is perfect, I didn't need to do much." 

She grinned and bit her lip before averting her eyes. She's planning something, he could tell.

"You know I checked this area out last night and I found something interesting, maybe you'd want to try out that new place at 23rd?" Annie asked casually while looking at the passing cars. "I heard they have the biggest lazertag place in the city." 

Abed raised a single brow at the invitation and she only widened her eyes like an innocent doe and not the vixen he knew laid underneath.

"Sure." He finally agreed.

She pumped a fist in the air and hissed a loud yes. 

"Let's go!" 

Annie quickly dragged him towards their destination. It didn't take long, just a short bus ride and they're standing outside a modern looking building with a large lazertag sign at the entrance.

Maybe he should have thought this through, Abed thought as they stood against each other on opposite teams on their first round. Her eyes were alight with a burning fire that promised hell on her enemies.

Annie is getting more and more excited, and seeing her running around, face fierce and calculating, racking up points left and right. Beating him and everyone else, every single round. Again and again.

She's amazing. 

Every time he caught sight of her, she's panting from exertion, skin glistening with sweat and a bloodthirsty grin on her face. Watching her like this was exhilarating. 

She shot him a look before tipping her head over to the left. They were both teammates on this round. Abed turned and saw the flash of light against the dim of the course, he nodded at Annie before carefully taking aim and firing at the sniper with a precision built from their paintball experience.

Abed saw the light blink, gotcha, he smirked and shot Annie a grin. Her eyes widened when she noticed something over his shoulder. She quickly shot up and dived, like slow motion right before his eyes, she took aim at an opponent he couldn't see and fired on her way down. With a small 'oomph' she knocked him over flat on his back. 

He could hear someone grumbling from behind him but he couldn't find it in himself to look, too busy gazing up at the woman on his chest.

Annie panted and a corner of her lips turned up into a smirk. She propped herself up on her arms and her hair cascaded down to frame her face, he couldn't see anything else but he was captivated by the flushed red tint across her cheeks. She gave a breathy laugh and ran a finger down his nose.

"Bet you can't beat me this round." She teased.

"Oh you wanna bet?" He asked in a hoarse tone.

She leaned down until they were just inches away. "Oh yes." Annie exhaled the words and he could feel her breath brush his face. The way she said the words brought forth a dozen different scenarios to the surface. 

Suddenly they heard a squeak of rubber shoes against polished concrete floor and Annie was instantly off again. 

Abed took a few seconds to breath in the cold musty air of the lazertag course. 

He was hard. 

His head flopped back down with a thump and a groan escaped his lips. He really needs to have that serious talk with the new Annie.

* * *

Abed brought two bowls of buttered noodles to the blanket fort. Annie had already made herself comfortable on the top bunk with a laptop on her lap. His bed, he reminded himself, and handed her the two bowls so he could climb up the ladder.

She set the bowls aside without much thought as she continues to navigate social media using his laptop. He doesn't usually let anyone else touch his laptop but this is Annie, he trusts her not to accidentally delete files like Britta definitely would have.

Abed settles down next to her, and she hands him back his bowl of buttered noodles. Her eyes never once leaving the screen.

"I've checked all his social media profiles, and I have downloaded some of his DJ pictures. It's really uncanny how similar he looks to the Dean." 

He hummed through a mouthful of noodles. 

The tapping sounds of the laptop filled the silence as Annie quickly typed in Craig Pelton in the search engines of various social media sites. Countless tabs were open and he's surprised at how efficient she is at digging up online dirt.

"Do we know if the Dean has any relatives we can contact?" She perused the sites and had a sudden weird expression on her face as she clicked on the profile of a woman. 

Leaning back against the wall he observed her, the last few days gave him a new perspective on certain things. 

"Who are you?" He asks. 

"Hmm?" She didn't look away from the screen, the weird look on her face was still there as she swiftly navigates through the woman's Facebook account.

"You're Annie but you're not Annie." He said in a monotone voice. 

He could see from the line of her shoulders to the press of her lips that she'd gone tense almost immediately at his words.

"I told you I'm not your Annie." She whispered, hands frozen on the keyboard.

"And I told you, you are." 

The light of the laptop illuminated the conflicted expression on her face. Annie closed the laptop and set it aside. She bit her lip and inhaled through her nose.

He waited patiently as she visibly collected herself. Her breathing got steadily heavier with each breath as the seconds continued to pass by. Finally she turned to look at Abed, her large blue doe eyes glistened with unshed tears. 

"I died." She croaked out, "And now I'm here."

He stared as a single perfect tear slipped down her cheek. For a moment he couldn't think, he couldn't process as more tears followed the first.

He doesn't understand. 

He needs to understand.

Abed opened his arms and Annie let out a choked sob and buried her face to his neck. Two times in one month she cried this way.

"Tell me." He whispered into her hair.

And she did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been focusing more on my studies, time is running out and my licensure exams are closing in. 
> 
> I'll update when I can but please understand I'm going to be putting writing in the back burner while I concentrate on my studies.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unbetaed (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*.✧

"--we Skype every week." She mumbled against his shoulder, they've adjusted their position to be more comfortable without the threat of accidentally kicking Abed's laptop off the top bunk.

"We talk about everything, how you're doing at work, my work, about the study group and the committee. I- I know you hate spoilers Abed, which is why I'm not telling you anything that's going to happen in the next few years... But it's... It's a lot." She sat up in his lap to face him, severing herself from his warmth and raised her hand to cup his cheek. He stared back at her with new eyes.

"How many years?" He asked.

"Ten." She answered before letting out a choked laugh, "You really don't want to know what happened in 2020. You wouldn't believe me even if I told you." 

Annie rubbed her fingers on his shirt, teasing the fraying edges with a frown. It was a very lonely and sad year, not just for them but for the rest of the world. She only managed to retain her job because it was considered essential. 

Their Skype sessions grew and became almost daily during quarantine, with more frequent weekly calls from the other members of the study group. Jeff and the others at Greendale didn't have much to do as colleges steadily closed down.

Abed himself was laid off as the film industry flopped due to the social distancing. He did find a niche online though, with his skits entertaining the bored masses. So there was that at least. But she knew it wasn't what he wanted, and she's glad he managed to pick himself up afterwards. Annie can't help but think of what might happen this time around.

"Trust me when I say we will experience so much pain and joy. We will go through so much hardship and struggles, but also success and happiness. It would be a disservice to the massive growth of our character development if I tell you anything of what's going to happen."

Abed looked away from her sky blue eyes that held so many answers. "Thank you Annie, I hate spoilers." 

She giggled, "Yeah you do."

They both exhaled, Annie felt like a huge weight has been lifted from her shoulders.

"So what now? We're still expelled and the Dean is still missing." Abed asked.

"Well I changed a few things by being here. Hopefully for the better, but I know you had a lot of fun in what's going to happen in the next few weeks." She beamed.

"I know it's always been your dream so I decided not to meddle in the timeline too much, just enough to change a few things. What we're doing right now is passing time." Annie shrugged, causing Abed's eyes to take on a particular gleam.

"What else do you want to do to pass time?" He asked and waggled his eyebrows at their position. His hands on her hips tightened to keep her steady on his lap.

"Abed!" She gasped in fake outrage before laughing and leaning forward to nuzzle against his chest.

"In the future, were we...?" He carefully asked.

"No... Maybe? We had that will-they won't-they thing going on for sooo long. We text all the time, we chat, and we see each other on video call every week. There's not a day where I don't talk to you in some form or another Abed. You're my best friend. We just... had a whole country between us, it wasn't right for us to start off our relationship over the internet, you meant more to me than that."

His arms loosely wrapped around her back and she sighed in contentment, going boneless against his form.

Abed didn't want to ask why she didn't end up with Jeff like the plot would suggest. Or why there would be a whole country between them. Maybe Abed wants to be a little bit selfish, even just for this, for this incredibly special person.

* * *

Whoever it was that decided to gather everyone for dinner deserves a raise. If they actually do have a job, which now that Annie thinks about it, none of them do. God, they're all broke (sans Pierce).

It's been years since the whole gang has gotten together in person, what with Pierce being dead and every one of them living so far away from each other They could only just occasionally Skype during holidays, but even then it was hard managing time zones and Shirley being busy taking care of her family.

This get together is very special for her, because you never really appreciate what you have until it's gone. 

Pierce was rather surprised when she greeted him with a tight hug. She caught Abed looking at them with a small tilt of his head, no doubt trying to figure out the rather off character interaction. 

She eyed Britta warily when she stumbled into the apartment with a hangover and a mild smell of booze. Annie had been a part of the intervention when Britta had gotten too attached to alcohol and Jeff called for their assistance. Britta managed to bounce back eventually but the event still lingered on her mind.

Troy brought a casserole of Bagel Bites in a deconstructed hot pocket reduction with a Doritos glaze. Annie never bothered to try it before, maybe she'll like it if she had a bite.

She also tried not to think about how Shirley had been baking up a storm since this morning and how their apartment is full of decadent smelling baked goods. They thought she'd gotten over that baking craze but apparently not. 

Abed emerged out of ther tiny kitchen with a big bowl of buttered noodles and she helped him set it beside his falafel plate. She had requested he made those for the dinner tonight. Future Abed used to make a lot of falafel for her everytime he made a visit to Washington. It was one of her favorites. Totally not because she's in love with the chef, nope, definitely not.

"Why were you drinking so hard last night Britta?" She asked lightly.

Britta groaned and said, "I met up with an old friend."

"Is that old friend Jack Daniels?" Jeff said from the side, still busy on his phone, as he'd been from the last half-hour.

"Shut up Jeff." Britta glared at him for a moment before going back to whining about her hangover.

"Well now that everything's done, why don't we start dinner?" Annie suggested, feeling especially warm having the original Greendale seven together around the table.

"Why don't I say grace?" Shirley excitedly proposed and everyone looked at her blankly.

"Fine have it your way." Shirley grumbled and huffed.

Jeff shook his head and put his phone away, "Okay it's nice that we're all here tonight to celebrate... nothing. There's really nothing to celebrate about. But this is a nice get together with friends who are now family at this point. Our bonds are strong and nothing will come between them. I hope we can enjoy a dinner like this again. Let's enjoy the meal shall we?" Jeff smirked and clapped.

Everyone cheered and dug into the meal. Annie immediately reached for the falafel and took a bite, she moaned at the first hit on her taste buds, memories from her past went through her mind.

The first time he'd made a falafel was also the first time she visited his apartment in Los Angeles. The gang was all there to see the premiere of a movie he'd had a hand in making. She was extremely proud and it was very fun to see almost everyone again.

"My favorite, thanks Abed." She said to the man and he shyly smiled back.

"What is it?" Jeff asked as he grabbed a forkful of roasted duck Pierce had brought.

"Falafel." Abed replied.

"Hey, isn't that your dad's business?" Britta asked through a mouthful of food.

"Yeah, it is." 

"I thought your father is a terrorist." 

"Pierce!"

The older man huffed and they just shook their head and went back to eating. Annie was very happy to have everyone here together again. 

Underneath the table she felt her knee get brush against someone's leg, she looked up and caught Abed's eye. They shared a small smile before going back to the food.

* * *

Annie groaned while patting her stomach, she felt so full she could burst. Troy's casserole wasn't what she'd expected but still happily took a bite. Looking around at the group chatting and eating Shirley's desserts while Abed collected the empty plates to the kitchen.

"It's great that we still have each other guys. I mean, yes we're out of Greendale but we had a lot of fun moments right?" She said with a smile to everyone around the table. 

"Like that time I went to Greendale and another girl wore the same exact outfit, down to the color of my purple skirt! I didn't know what to do, it was so embarrassing, but thankfully the Dean was there and saw everything. He shooed the other girl home, well more like chase the girl out the campus but anyway, same thing." 

"I remember that. Girl cried on her way home." Shirley added and the other members also had a faraway look in their eyes.

She looked to Abed who'd already returned to his seat halfway through her story and continued her flashback, "Or remember that time there was a fire on campus and the Dean interrupted our Biology study session wearing a fireman costume? He came by just to inform us first before telling everyone else about the fire?"

Annie nodded with slight exaggeration and added, "The Dean said it's not right to play favorites, but it's no more right to sit on your feelings and he didn't know what he'd do without us."

"Oh yeah!" Troy enthusiastically agreed. "Like when we were late to pizza day and everyone else got a slice but we only got some boring burgers and fries. The Dean dressed up as the janitor and gave us the last six pieces of pizza."

"Why didn't I get one?" Pierce grumbled in his seat.

"You were busy, remember?" Annie shot Abed a panicked look and he lightly shrugged in bewilderment.

Jeff saw the exchange and cut in just as Pierce was about to reply, "Remember when the Dean used the PA system just to sing us a song about our not-birthdays? You were there Pierce. How did it go again?"

"I think it kinda went like this," Britta said, immersed in the flashback. "Troy and Jeffrey, and Annie and Britta, and Shirley and Pierce, and Abed and Jeffrey! Just a few of the most special students in Greendale!"

"Pretty sure he said 'the world'." Shirley raised an eyebrow.

"I can't believe you Britta'd a flashback." Abed commented. 

"Fine! He said the world." Britta huffed and crossed her arms.

"I can't believe he said Jeffrey twice." Pierce said.

"Well, I can't believe he made Abed win the last paintball war." Jeff shot back. 

"The prize was lame." Abed said with mild disgust.

"You know what occurred to me?" Annie gave everyone around the table a searching look, "What all those great Greendale memories have in common?"

"I was barely in them?" Pierce dryly replied.

"They were all about Dean Pelton." Shirley chimed in.

Abed placed a hand on the table. "That's what I've been trying to make you guys understand for the last two months. I keep telling you, we weren't expelled by the real Dean. It couldn't have been him, he loved us." He gazed at Annie and she smiled when he echoed her reasoning.

"Maybe we've been so concerned with moving past Greendale we've been living in denial." Britta said.

"It's true, we actually followed the fake Dean and caught him picking up his two kids." Jeff stood up from his seat. Everyone had a put-off expression at the thought of the Dean with children of his own. "Abed, I'm sorry we haven't been supporting you and we haven't been honest with yourselves. Something weird is going on with that school. We need to go back."

"But what could've happened to the real Dean?" Shirley asked the group before looking over at Abed. "Do you have any idea about what happened Abed?" Her trust in his opinion felt nice, like a warmth steadily growing in his chest. 

He nodded, "We think Ben Chang kidnapped the real Dean and had replaced him with a double." 

"Chang kidnapped the Dean? Even for him, that's insane." Shirley looked in shock.

"Is it?" Jeff shot back, "Think about it."

The group had varying degrees of disgust on their faces as they thought back to the Chang incidents they had the last couple of months in Greendale.

"One time I caught him snorting corn chips up his nose like coke in the student lounge." Britta said.

"I caught him using the forensics classroom with Garrett in an inflatable kiddie pool to test out if Garrett had pre-cognition abilities." Annie shrugged.

"He was repeatedly tasering his balls in the nurse's office." Abed said much to the disgust of the other men around the table.

Troy nodded, "I also caught him doing that in the Dean's office."

"Why are we talking about this? We should be focused on clearing our names." Jeff aimed a look at Annie and Abed, they nodded, glad he's going along with their plan on slowly convincing the other members of their group.

"Look you guys, let's forget about us for a second. The Dean had been kidnapped! He's out there somewhere, alone and cold, and most likely trying to cobble together a sexy Party Hearst costume."

"Britta's right." Jeff agreed before shaking his head. "Wait, what?"

"We need to rescue the Dean." Shirley said with concern.

"We need to get back to that school." 

"And we definitely never need to do another paintball." Abed said and everyone agreed.

"See, dinner together is great idea." Annie beamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little late but here it is! I've been trying to find time to squeeze it in-between my studies. 
> 
> Enjoy!

**Author's Note:**

> On hiatus until my licensure exams are over.
> 
> I haven't read a time travel fic between these two yet so I made one.


End file.
